The Council of Europe commits itself in the fight against match-fixing

On Wednesday 28 September 2011, the Committee of Ministers of the 47 member states of the Council of Europe adopted the Recommendation CM/Rec(2011)10 on the promotion of the integrity of sport against manipulation of results, notably match-fixing.

This Recommendation, drafted by EPAS, is the follow-up of a request made by Sports Ministers at their 18th Informal Council of Europe Conference in Baku on 22 September 2010.

The adoption of this Recommendation provided the opportunity to hold an exchange of views between Michel Platini, President of UEFA, Snežana Samardžić-Marković, Serbian Minister of Youth and Sport and the Ministers Deputies. The latter underlined that the fight against manipulation of results, notably match-fixing, was not only necessary but helds to improve public order in the fight against corruption and organised crime.

This adoption opens the door to considering a possible international convention (legally binding standard), which would strengthen the commitments of states on this issue.

A working lunch with Mr Platini, Ms Samardžić-Marković and the Council of Europe Deputy Secretary General, Ms de Boer Buquicchio was the opportunity to have an overview of shared common concerns for the public authorities and the sports movement, and of the co-operation between the Council of Europe and UEFA, in particular on issues such as prevention against spectator violence, protection of migrant minors, defence of national teams and good governance in sport.